Permanent Secretary Frank Fabri told this newsroom that he has not been contacted by the health authorities at all when asked if rumours that he is in quarantine due to a positive case from a meeting he attended were true.

On Tuesday, former PN leadership candidate Frank Protelli posted on his social media saying that a staff member attending a meeting on opening of Schools held on 14 September has tested positive and that everyone present for the meeting are in quarantine, including Frank Fabri.

This caused quite the stir with people questioning the integrity of the COVID-19 school protocols.

When someone asked Portelli if his information is true, he said “have I ever said something that is untrue? There was someone infected in a pre-school meeting, so imagine how many there will be in schools.”

The Malta Independent contacted Fabri for more details.

“This is something which the health authorities take care of through contact tracing and I will be honest with you, I have not been informed that someone from the meeting on 14 September tested positive,” he said.

“This is news to me,” he added, “as you know quarantine is not something that you do not really choose to do. You are contacted by the health authorities to do it and I have not been contacted.”

He explained that this was a small scale and short meeting between officials taking care of the implementation of school COVID-19 protocols at a certain school. For the most part the meeting took place outdoors while respecting social distancing, mask and hygiene measures. Fabri was only present for the start of the meeting to deliver a short address.

“There is no need for alarm,” he said.

Sources from the Education Ministry have also confirmed that the health authorities have not contacted them about this case.